Black-out hood



Aug. 10, 1943. K, M, HALE BLAcKouT Hoon Filed oct. 1e, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 K. M. HALE BLACKOUT HOOD ug. 10, 194:3e

Filed Oct. 16,l 1942 2 SheelZS-Sheel'l 2 KERMIT M. HALE Patented Aug. 10, 1943 BLAcK-oUT'Hoon-- f. e Y Kermit/finale, nichmmtfva. Q Application otober 16, mta'serpial No, 462,455

This invention relates to'blackout hoods'rfor Vehicle lights and, V*more particularly,I to hoods for dimming down the lights ofl automobiles;

The primary object of'this invention is to pro vide a blackout hood for automobiles and the -like mobile so that the position andspeed thereofi can y be readily judged;

A further object is zo provid@ abiackout'nood for headlights which will -prevent emanationin a forward direction of ,"any light rays directly from the bulb of the headlight,`it being found that such direct rays 'are too bright, 'and to allow only downwardly reflected raysto"1pass. Still again, it is now proposedto provide a hoodwhich allows only a dull glow to be Seen at the eye level of an individual either standing, or seated .in an automobile'or other vehicle. r

A particular object is the provisionA of a black-f out hood that is readily atta'chable tolandfde# tachable from the headlights otany standard automobile, and which will not leak lightin any undesired direction even though it be installed quickly, without benet of light and complicated printed directions, in the pressing emergency of a resounding air raid alarm. Furthermore, it is intended to utilize the elements by which the hood is assembled for holding the parts'in xed, predetermined position so that a constant and proper amount of light will always be projected from the headlamps, even though a part of the hood be mounted at all times. A

Above all, an object-is to provide a blackout hood which will have the most simple operation, so as to be foolproof in the hands of themost ncnmechanically inclined user. Along with simplicity is the object of economy of manufacture so as to make the device available to the impelFigure 17, is a yfrontelevation; of an automobile utilizing both forms V0i" the"tiled/'iota` Figure Y2-is a vcross-section showing'the blackoutv hood assemblyY installedvohl a. headlight.Y

' v thewinVention may"bef'utilizedforfthe lights on" single. integral unit.V

, FigureV 3 is aplan view oftheiirst forrnand? Figure 4is a',perlsg'nec'ztivie,Y vshowing the secondjform.

Rerernngnow tothe 'drawing-ain which like* reference numerals denote similar-elements, the

fender oi- `lan automobile uponjwhich the -de'viceA ijs applied/is yde'notedat" 2 n being .thymus-that any vehicle, or fort-'stationary -signal-` lamps. llvlo'u'r'ited on the-frontoflthe automobile are headpartially brOKeeWe-Y;

lights 4, conventionallycomprising afshell 5"se curedV Aat 6 .in air'ecess'ed! element f1 v affixed Vin fender Z'fand enca's'ing a reiiector Binthebenter of-'which socket' 9 'supporting abulb .Il issecured.

In front of the reflector a concavo-convex' lens I2 is supported, the reiiector and lens being held in assembled relationship in the shell iby clamping parts; 4indicated generally iat" I3, and a ring ,Y

lfl. vThering vmay be heldin y'any suitable manheadlight perse forms it being sufficient to Vnote 'thatzthe`^ device ynie-J scribed .below ilts any standardtype.,j: c The blackout hood. is madefin two unitaithe" iirst ofllwhichis adapted; tozzbe;'perrn'anertly` mounted. on the headlampgfa'nd which comprises a rustoeconical band `lll ofafabr'ic material." It

has been determined by test that fabric of the' type used for automobile upholstery'and known to the trade as articial leather is ideally suited for this purpose,'particularly of its dull translucency, and also because of its semi-stiiness and semi-flexibility.

Preferably, band I8 is formed of'two StripSZE,

2B of the fabric generally in the form of trape' Zoids with ends overlapping and Vunjoined `as at 22, so asto allow ittingk within rings of many or hemmed,l if desired.- A hoop Zll'of rigid material, such as wood or metal, is aflixed to the cunious. Along this line, it is intended'that the These and other objectives will appear irom the following specification and drawings, in Which:

' hoop 24 stands out from lens shorter edge of the band, this 'edge preferably being turned around the hop and held by rstitches 25. It should be noted that when this unit is 'sizes by varying the amount-,of overlap at Vthe edges, the longer edge of theband being iinished installed on the headlight, as shown in Fig. 2,

l2 and xedly denesa round opening through may pass, when this unit alone is installed. se

which ample light Well above the center of the main shade, an'

elongated, horizontally disposed light slit 34 is out, anda visor 36,r secured by stitches at 38 to y L the front Vof Vthe main shade, is formed so that the t side andfront edges thereof extend slightlybe-fk 2,326,354 y Y Y. l

Y Asmaller adaptation of the device is used for 'tail lights, in which case the visor may be eliminated. Where the tail light is rectangular, reclow the lowermost edge of the slit. It shouldrbe noted that hoop 30V on main shade 28 isslightly" larger than hocp-24 on band `I8,.z uidi;lfia.t the;

area encompassed by hoop 24 is at least as great 1 as the minimum requirements for headlight area..4 .'The fabricsbetween hoops V254 and 30 ensure a tight, snug fit when the two units are asembled.

In operation, band 118 .is rstjand yi eniflnnently installed on the headlishtfby removing` ringll andleying the larger; edge .ofthe band erennd the peripheries of reflectorA 8 and lensl2 so that when the ring is4 replaeed,band i8 will be tightly clamped inA place with no chance Qi light leakage around the clamped edges. With the band i8' in place.;V the :automobile may be driven: as usuel' with substantially; no. diminution of light.:

- AWhen a v blackout or'dimoui.v is, sounded, vthe tangular frame elements corresponding to hoops v2li and 30 aresubstituted. Likewise the device may be used for cowl or other `lights without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In actual tests this device has been found to meet'the requirements of light :secrecy in blackouts, andphas `won approval of responsible of- -iicialsl ,N L f y' The invention is not limited to the precise illustration and description, but is to be construed to cover the full scope of equivalents within the purview of the following claims. VI claim:

' Y1'.Y In a blackout hood for automobile lights and j, 'thelile aiirst member adapted to be permanently carried on the light, comprising a skirt portion of opaque flexible fabric adapted to be clamped around the vperiphery of a light assembly and to extend forwardly to overlie the outer portion only of theJerisofthe light thereby allowing substantially-the normal amount'of-light toy be. ,emitted forwardly-.from-rthe lens,vand a hoop of relatively rigidI materialsecured tothe forward, edge of the mainshade 28 is installed byttng ring'3ll over Y ring 24, WithY the main shadein place, light slit 34 lies well above the level of bulb |70, and light issuingy directly from the bulb or reflectingup'- wardly from the lower partof ,reflectory 8.wll be block ed by the main shade or ,intercepted by visor 36. The only unintercepted rayspassing through lightl slit 32 and-.clearing the visor are those reilected downwardly from the upper portion-of reflector 8A.V i s i 1 It is preferredthat theefabric forming :main

y shade 28 andband I8 be black so that no glow will be transmittedfthereby. However, yif v desired,'

shade` 28.may be red colors so as to makea signal visible for severa1 hundred feet, orV for designation of authority. For these purposes also,V one of the main shades may be without a; light slit, aszillus-` tratedat 28a, in which oase the fabriowoiildA be red, green, or some other appropriate signal color.

Indicia may be .placed or:` painted on the front, preferably in blackorl very dark characters. 'Alsoregisteringmeans may. beprovidedbn the mating edgesr of shade 28jand band I8 to ensure placef i. 4mentiof slit 34 in the'proper angular position.

skirt portieri,- anda quicklyl atilielianle and detaehebleseeend; member adapted to be removably securedftothe first member soj as to overlie the nernander-V elf the lens. Comprising a Second loop teleseenieally eneegenble with the first-mentioned heen, endila sheet; O ,filexible fabric, Seen-red across Vthe secondhoog.thesecond member being constructed to transmitsubdued light only. Y

2- The. combination. claimed in claim 1. the skirtportion comprising arpair of' strips of material,- each havingone sidel edge thereof secured to the first-mentioned hoop, with th? end- `edges of the'strips overlapping `one another. :3. The; combination claimed in; claim 1, the skirtportion comprising a pair of strips. ofv material, eaclrhaving-one-side edge shorter than the other. fthe' shorter edges being secmred'to the iirst-mentionedhoop. and: the ends-of the. Strips i ic1`iacf, 1 lty one another being overlapping, whereby theslirt portion may be clamped to lights of any one of agnumber ofdifferenligsizes.'

4. The combination. claimed inl claim l, said Y second n'lernberl having an elongated light slit CERTIFICATE. CF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,526,55LI. August Io, 1915.

KERMIT M. HALE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered vpatent requiring correction as follows: Page2, second column? line 50, claim l, for "loop" read --hoop; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of October, A. D. 19145. A

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of' Patents. 

